Two cabin crew members suffered "minor" injuries when a Kolkata-bound GoAir flight from Bhubaneswar flew into an inclement weather system and experienced severe air turbulence on Tuesday, media reports said.
No passenger was hurt and the flight G8 761 made a safe landing at Kolkata airport, according to the reports. The aircraft also did not suffer any damage and was checked thoroughly after landing at the Kolkata airport, according to airline sources. The aircraft was subsequently declared airworthy and released for further operations.
Though the exact number of passengers aboard when the aircraft flew into the air pocket was not immediately known, sources said the budget airline operates Airbus A320-200 aircraft for the 70-minute flight on this sector. The plane can carry a maximum of 180 passengers.
"GoAir flight G8 761 operating on Bhubaneswar-Kolkata route experienced severe turbulence wherein two crew members suffered minor injuries and were administered medication at the dispensary at Kolkata airport," a GoAir spokesperson said in the statement.
The sector has been experiencing inclement weather for the past couple of days. Weathermen have predicted the likelihood of heavy rain and thunderstorm across southern Bengal including Kolkata for the next few days. Six people lost their lives on Monday in a storm that hit parts of Bengal. Tuesday morning saw 15.3mm rainfall.